Former military head of state, General Yakubu Gowon (retd) yesterday
revealed how he narrowly missed flying in the same helicopter that
killed Governor Patrick Yakowa and five others last Saturday in Bayelsa
State. Gowon made this known to newsmen in Kafanchan, Jema’a Local
Government Area of Kaduna during a special service session to mark the
50th birthday of Apostle Emmanuel Nuhu Kure of Throneroom Ministry,
Kafanchan.
Gowon said: “As we were with the aide of the president to pay our
condolence, they were arranging a Navy helicopter to take us to Yenogoa
(with Yakowa). But another helicopter was arranged for me, and five
others. And that was it. “So when I heard about this accident, it really
pained me. And I want to say, well, you can never tell with some of
these things. It was an accident. Don’t impugn any meaning to it. Don’t
say that it is plan to get rid of some people or something like that.
“It is an accident, yes it was an accident. There was this young
pilot of the helicopter, who came to me after another helicopter was
found for us, and he said to me, ‘sir, but I was ready to take you to
Yenagoa, as part of my duty today’. And I said to him, ‘don’t worry
there will be another time. I really hope I will have the pleasure of
flying with you again’. “These were nice innocent people. Something,
probably mechanical, went wrong to have caused the accident. So it was
not a plan to get rid of the governor for whatever reason people want to
guess.
“When, last Sunday, I saw the Governor (Ramalan Yero), who was newly
sworn in, I said ‘I hope you will continue with the good work that your
late governor was doing. It was the two of you that were doing the work.
You were working to bring peace to Kaduna State. I hope you will do
something about this madness alluded to Boko Haram, which, unfortunately
is being alluded to Muslims. “If Boko Haram are Muslims, then they are
not the Muslims that I have worked with over the years. So don’t just
blame Muslims for the violence, but that particular group that none of
us understand.
So, may the soul of our brother rest with our Lord. Thank you.”
Meanwhile, the people wailed as the remains of Yakowa arrived the Sir
Kashim Ibrahim House for the wake keep yesterday. At about 5.00pm, the
Hiace ambulance with registration number MKA 581AE arrived for the wake
keep which had in attendance Vice President Namadi Sambo, new Governor
of Kaduna, Mukhtar Yero, Governor of Bayelsa State, Seriake Dickson,
former governor of old Rivers, Alfred Diete-Spiff, former governor of
Bayelsa State, Dieprieye Alamieyeseigha.
As soon as the pallbearers removed the casket from the ambulance, the
entire congregation started wailing. The Chaplain of the Government
House, Rev. Elias Kabu narrated his last day with the late governor. He
said a couple of weeks before the helicopter crash which claimed the
late governor, “the governor called me saying that he wanted me to
organise the annual Christmas Carol at the Government House on December
19, but here we are today instead of the Christmas Carol, we are
organising a wake keep for the governor.”
In his homily, the Archbishop of Kaduna Catholic Diocese, Archbishop
Mathew Ndagoso Man Oso said when the news of the air mishap filtered
into his ears, “we are hoping against hope that it was all rumour after
all.” He said in life, there was a purpose for everything and noted that
Yakowa had died because he had accomplished his purpose on earth. “God
called him (Yakowa) because he has achieved the purpose for which he was
made the governor,” he said.
Culled From: The Sun
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